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The Wall Opens at Potsdamer Platz, West Berlin, 12 November 1989: Construction work in the border strip [3/16]

OBJECT INFORMATION

Info

November 11 1989
Berlin, Potsdamer Platz
Created By: Dagmar Lipper

License: Creative Commons License

A view from the West side of the Berlin Wall onto construction work in the border strip, presumably in preparation of the border opening on 12 November; the Hinterlandmauer (inner Eastern wall) in the background

Depicts

Berlin Wall (West), Berlin Wall graffiti (writing), border guard, border strip, crane, group of people, hammer and sickle (symbol), inner-Eastern Wall, military vehicle, swastika, Trabant (car), Wall graffiti

Context

Berlin Wall (West), border strip, crowd, curiosity, fall of the Berlin Wall, media, observation deck, opening of the border, sparkling wine

People/Organizations

Border Troops of the GDR, police (FRG)

Places

Postdamer Platz border crossing, Potsdamer Platz

Text in image

Campaign to politically abolish militarily [...] / divisions toward the political integration of hom[...] / for universal civil law and a world wothout a mili[...] / John Runnings der Mauerläufer

Gary Barn[...]

Blick

Estonia

Hitler- / Stalin- / Pact

Boys on tour [...]

Other items in this set

Memory

"We heard in the media about the opening of a new border crossing. Of course, we wanted to go see what would happen again. And we were not alone. The news of the Wall opening was enough to attract large numbers of onlookers. Typical Berlin! Just tell people there is something to see and they will go look. Those who managed to get a place on the West Berlin viewing platform could see over the Wall, where border soldiers were clearing the 'death strip' and preparing the new crossing. We also saw how the West Berlin police climbed onto the roofs of their paddy wagons to see for themselves, and they weren't the only ones. It must have been quite a strange situation for the border guards. After all, their task up to then had been to secure the border.

The bright colours on the Wall were in stark contrast to the threat it had once posed. And on the East Berlin side, beyond the cleared area and death strip, we could just about make out the former contours of Potsdamer Platz and Leipziger Platz. The buildings were gone but the streets were still there."

Dagmar Lipper (West-Berlin)